CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR FOOD RETAILING IN JAPAN AND SOUTH EAST ASIA

Agribusiness, International Relations/Trade,

AGRICULTURAL TRADE LIBERALIZATION-- IMPACTS ON PRODUCERS

International Relations/Trade,

In situ analysis of neuronal dynamics and positional cues in the patterning of nerve connections

Recently developed imaging techniques permit individual cells to be uniquely labeled and followed over time as development proceeds in intact vertebrate embryos. Small groups of cells in the developing eye rudiment of the frog Xenopus have been labeled with the vital dyes DiI, lysinated fluorescein dextran (LFD) or lysinated rhodamine dextran (LRD). Individual optic axons and their growth cones were clearly visible in the intact living animal using confocal microscopy or epifluorescence microscopy with a low light level video camera and computer-based video image enhancement. To follow the dynamics of single optic nerve fiber terminal arborizations, small groups of cells, or even single retinal ganglion cells, were labeled with DiI, and the resulting labeled optic nerve fibers were imaged using a confocal microscope. The images show a profound alteration in morphology from day to day, demonstrating that optic nerve terminal arborizations are dynamic structures constantly extending and retracting branches. To follow the topography of the developing projection and analyze the cues that guide its formation, small groups of eyebud cells from LFD- and LRD-labeled donor embryos were grafted to an unlabeled host in either a location equivalent to that from which they had been removed (homotopic grafts) or a non-equivalent location (heterotopic grafts). Axons from homotopic grafts projected to the tectum as expected from the adult topography of the retinotectal projection. Dorsoventral topography was present from the time that the optic nerve fibers were observable in the tectum, in agreement with previous work. Nasotemporal topography was subtle or absent for the first few days, and then slowly refined. The importance of positional cues was tested by performing heterotopic eyebud grafts, in which the labeled eyebud cells are grafted to inappropriate places in the host eyebud. The heterotopic grafts appeared to integrate with the ectopic site in the eyebud in a functional manner. They should, therefore, project to the tectum together with their new neighbors if neighbor interactions or activity-based cues were of primary importance in the initial patterning of the map. However, the experiments showed that the axons from heterotopic grafts always behaved in a fashion appropriate to their position of origin in the donor, regardless of their final position in the host. These observations indicate that small groups of eyebud cells (as small as a single cell) possess positional information that plays a dominant role in guiding the optic nerve fibers to their target sites in the tectum

EFFICACY OF ELECTRON BEAM IRRADIATION OF PROCESSED PORK PRODUCTS

The research reported on in this paper was conducted as part of a larger project. That project is on-going and is focused on ascertaining if irradiation of processed meats would be effective and economical. It involved the examination, through modeling, of the irradiation of one of many currently produced ready-to-eat (RTE) convenience-oriented, value-added pork products, sliced boneless ham. The results and findings reported in this paper represent the initial estimates of the cost and potential profitability or economic viability of irradiation of processed meats. The results and findings in this paper should be considered preliminary with extension and verification to be reported in a later paper by the authors. The objective of the portion of that project reported on in this paper was to conduct cost analysis of alternative irradiation methods and to ascertain the cost of each of those methods. Three scenarios were considered for cost analysis. The first scenario was the installation of an X-ray irradiator at an existing meat processing plant. The second scenario was the installation of a Cobalt-60 irradiator at an existing meat processing plant. The third scenario assumed that the meat processor contracted for irradiation services from an off-site company providing such service to a number of clients. For purposes of this study it was assumed that irradiation of sliced boneless ham would result in either a $.06/pound reduction in costs from processor to consumer, a$.06/pound increase in willingness to pay [price] or an equivalent combination of reduced costs and increased price. Total cost per pound for the irradiation process applied to sliced boneless ham ranged from $0.008, at the 200 million pound annual throughput rate using Cobalt-60 irradiation, to$0.069 at the 50 million pound annual throughput rate when contracting with an off-site company.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Coping with Shocks and Shifts: The Multilateral Trading System in Historical Perspective

This paper provides a historical look at how the multilateral trading system has coped with the challenge of shocks and shifts. By shocks we mean sudden jolts to the world economy in the form of financial crises and deep recessions, or wars and political conflicts. By shifts we mean slow-moving, long-term changes in comparative advantage or shifts in the geopolitical equilibrium that force economies to undergo disruptive and potentially painful adjustments. We conclude that most shocks (financial crises and regional wars) have had relatively little effect on trade policy, but that shifts pose a greater challenge to the system of open, multilateral trade.

STRATEGIES FOR U.S. APPLE EXPORTING FIRMS

International Relations/Trade,

Exploring challenges in overseas teachers’ cross-cultural adjustment

Abstract. The landscape of teaching has been undergoing drastic changes and teachers are taking up posts in schools overseas at higher rates than ever before. Teachers entering unfamiliar cultural contexts find themselves having to adjust to both a new work environment and a new host culture. Although poor adjustment has been linked to weaker job performance and higher turnover rates, the field of overseas teachers’ experiences remains relatively unexplored. Henceforth the purpose of this literature review is to compile and analyze existing literature on overseas teachers’ challenges to cross-cultural adjustment in order to further the understanding of teachers’ adjustment processes. It is intended that this research, through a better understanding of challenges faced by teachers, may provide some basis for developing cross-cultural training and/or other methods of facilitating support, such as induction. The findings of this literature review indicate that teachers working overseas experience various challenges in both host culture adjustment and work adjustment. It is suggested that as opposed to underestimating challenges, teachers ought to be prepared to experience some degree of difficulty in their relocation. Many of the challenges described derive from teachers’ familiar approaches and beliefs being rendered inappropriate within their new cultural context. It is argued that in order to achieve successful adjustment, overseas teachers need to be flexible in their work and simultaneously confront their preconceived notions of teaching and what it means to be a teacher. Furthermore, leadership is also recognized as a significant factor in successful adjustment, especially for the purpose of providing suitable induction and/or other means of support for overseas teachers.Ulkomailla työskentelevien opettajien kohtaamia haasteita kulttuurienvälisessä sopeutumisessa. Tiivistelmä. Opettajat muuttavat ulkomaille töihin enemmän kuin koskaan ennen. Kun opettaja muuttaa ulkomaille töihin, hän joutuu sopeutumaan uuteen työhön ja vieraaseen kulttuuriin. Tutkimus ulkomailla työskentelevien opettajien kokemuksista on vähäistä, vaikka heikko sopeutuminen on liitetty alisuoriutumiseen töissä sekä opettajien päätökseen luopua työstä. Tämän kirjallisuuskatsauksen tavoitteena on koota ja analysoida olemassa olevaa tutkimusta ulkomailla työskentelevien opettajien kokemista haasteista kulttuurienvälisessä sopeutumisessa. Tarkoitus on lisätä tietoa opettajien sopeutumisprosesseista, jotta sitä voitaisiin hyödyntää esimerkiksi koulutuksen tai muun tuen kehittämisessä. Kirjallisuuskatsauksen tulokset osoittavat, että ulkomailla työskentelevät opettajat kohtaavat moninaisia haasteita sekä kohdemaan kulttuuriin että työhön sopeutumisessa. Näiden tuloksien perusteella ehdotetaan, että haasteita ei pitäisi vähätellä vaan pikemminkin opettajien pitäisi olettaa, että he tulevat kokemaan jonkin tason vaikeuksia sopeutumisessaan. Suurin osa ilmenevistä haasteista johtuu siitä, että opettajille tutut lähestymis- ja toimintatavat sekä uskomukset eivät enää päde uudessa kulttuurissa. Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan väittää, että sopeutuminen edellyttää opettajilta joustavuutta työssään sekä opettamiseen liittyvien ennakkokäsityksien kyseenalaistamista. Myös se, miten kouluyhteisöä johdetaan vaikuttaa opettajien sopeutumiseen. Johdolla on suuri merkitys siinä, miten koulutusta kehitetään ja millaista tukea on tarjolla sopeutumisen helpottamiseksi

Readiness for competitive positioning: A managerial checklist

Competitive positioning is improved by following best practices regarding analysis of competition, consumers, industry dynamics, SBU capabilities, market deliverables and fit, and profit potential of various positions. Only then can positions be identified that are relevant, worthwhile, achievable and defendable. Literature acknowledges the process requirements but few management tools are available to aid in this task. This paper proposes a readiness checklist that helps insure best practices are followed and is a precursor to development of a positioning readiness scale. In addition, a structural equation model is proposed to assess the overall and component-based effects of using the elements in the checklist on achieving strong market positions

Physical Properties of OSIRIS-REx Target Asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36 derived from Herschel, ESO-VISIR and Spitzer observations

In September 2011, the Herschel Space Observatory performed an observation campaign with the PACS photometer observing the asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36 in the far infrared. The Herschel observations were analysed, together with ESO VLT-VISIR and Spitzer-IRS data, by means of a thermophysical model in order to derive the physical properties of 1999 RQ36. We find the asteroid has an effective diameter in the range 480 to 511 m, a slightly elongated shape with a semi-major axis ratio of a/b=1.04, a geometric albedo of 0.045 +0.015/-0.012, and a retrograde rotation with a spin vector between -70 and -90 deg ecliptic latitude. The thermal emission at wavelengths below 12 micron -originating in the hot sub-solar region- shows that there may be large variations in roughness on the surface along the equatorial zone of 1999 RQ36, but further measurements are required for final proof. We determine that the asteroid has a disk-averaged thermal inertia of Gamma = 650 Jm-2s-0.5K-1 with a 3-sigma confidence range of 350 to 950 Jm-2s-0.5K-1, equivalent to what is observed for 25143 Itokawa and suggestive that 1999 RQ36 has a similar surface texture and may also be a rubble-pile in nature. The low albedo indicates that 1999 RQ36 very likely contains primitive volatile-rich material, consistent with its spectral type, and that it is an ideal target for the OSIRIS-REx sample return mission.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 9 pages, 7 figure